Non-profit reverses course and lowers price to sponsor meetings.
Currying favor with the ICANN crowd just got a lot cheaper.
Well, at least compared to last week.
In advance of its meeting in San Francisco next month, ICANN doubled the cost of many of its sponsorship packages. It also added a new level at $500,000.
But now it’s pulling a Wal-Mart and rolling back prices.
The non-profit announced tonight that it is reducing the costs on lower level packages and offering a 33% discount for non-profits.
It appears that it’s not just the entry level packages that took a haircut. The Diamond level, which cost VeriSign $500,000 for next month’s meeting, is now $250,000. The Platinum Elite package (which I think includes some frequent flyer miles or something) was reduced from $250,000 to $150,000.
The entry level Bronze package is now $7,500 instead of $10,000. But I believe that’s still more than it cost last year.
It’s not clear if these lower rates apply to the March meeting in San Francisco. If so, ICANN is giving some hefty refunds.
George Kirikos says
There should be a 50% rollback of ICANN staff salaries, while they’re at it, especially at the top end. It’s clear that the executive compensation is inconsistent with other non-profit organizations.
Isis Cleo says
Roll back their salaries? They should be fired! More importantly, can someone please tell me how Thrush got re-elected?
page howe says
andrew, i think the discount is for non profit entities only…….(ie .org and co.uk registraries i guess)
We have also created a 33% discount rate for non-profit organizations.
Andrew Allemann says
@ page – it has reduced prices across the board, and then non-profits get another 33% off that.
page howe says
cool, maybe they’ll do the same with new TLD applicant fees… (ha ,ha)